All language subtitles for S1E8 Radioactive

Whenever the laws of any state are broken, a
duly authorized organization swings into action.

It may be called the state police, state troopers, militia, the rangers, or the highway patrol.

These are the stories of the men whose training, skill, and courage have enforced and preserved our state laws.

The highway patrol is engaged in many ordinary activities.

Apprehending criminals is not ordinary and is occasionally given increased urgency by

the nature of the crime involved.

On the morning of October 3rd, Herb Williams, a sneak thief, stole an expensive radioactive

oil indicator.

The highway patrol swung into action to save Williams and any innocent victims from the

danger of exposure to the radioactive mechanism.

Car 3760 to headquarters.

I picked him up.

He's going north on 126, about four miles north of Graniteville.

He's doing 90.

2150 to all units.

The sedan has been spotted going north on 126 out of Graniteville.

2169, 3760, head south out of Brenton Road and cut him off.

Now when you contact the sedan, use caution.

The stolen instrument is radioactive.

Allow nobody to touch it or disassemble it until I arrive.

Mr. Hoyt, which is the business end we have to worry about?

The tube, Mr. Matthews.
Here.

These are beryllium pellets inside.

They'd be made radioactive by the atomic energy at Oak Ridge.

Exposure to the pellets for only a few moments can be fatal.

The casing's of lead, right?

Yes.

And it can't be opened here, but it can be opened here.

Once this thread screw is loosened, the tube can be unscrewed.

This tap-out plug is only tin foil.

You see, Mr. Matthews, when we lower an indicator into a new...

Mr. Hoyt, would you come along with us?

I'd like an expert to dismantle this thing if we find it.

I'd be glad to.

All right, fine. Let's go.

Wailing banshees, that's what they are.

Wailing banshees.

Come out with your hands clasped behind your head.

Turn around and face the car.

Now turn around.

Well, you got it in there?

No.

Where is it?

I got rid of it.

Where'd you get rid of it?

At a junk pile back down the road.

Bring him with us.

Are you buying the drinks today Mrs. Wright?

Ha, ha, ha, hello Mr. Adams.
Drinks are on the house.

Ah, thank you.

Got anything in that grab bag
I can cheat you out of today?

You can't cheat an honest man.

Ha, ha, I can't even find one.

By the way Mrs. Wright, do you happen
to have a screwdriver handy?

Oh, sure thing.
Work table's around the side.

Thanks!

I'll buy the drinks, next time.

Oh Mr. Adams!

Ma'am?

There's a truck going in towards town.

Are you headed to the junkyard?

Okay.

Did you fix what you wanted to with the screwdriver?

No I'll get to it at the next junkyard.

Thanks for everything.

And thanks for the lift.

Are you sure this is the spot?

That's right

Was anybody else here when you tossed it out?

No.

Excuse me.
Mr. Adams was here.

Oh, hi. I'm Mrs. Wright.
I run the grocery store over there.

I got, um, curious.

Tell me Mrs. Wright,
who is Mr. Adams?

Well, he calls himself a wandering industrialist.

What do you call him?

Just a rag picker.

He looks for junk, actually

You mean he picks over the junk piles and sells it for second-hand and scrap.

That's right.

Mrs. Wright, did he mention finding an oil...

a metal gadget that was square on top?

With a long pipe coming out of the bottom?

Yeah, did he have it with him?

Yes, he was trying to do something with a,
with a screwdriver.

Open it, I think.

Did he open it?

No, he got the ride into town then.

Whereabouts in town?

Well, I'm not sure, but he said something about going to the junkyards.

Which junkyard? Do you know?

Well, uh, he usually goes to the ones on Hughes Boulevard on the way in. He says he gets the best deals there.

Take him and book him. Thank you Mrs. Write.
Hughes Boulevard let's roll.

Thanks a million!

Hello, can I help you?

I'm selling, not buying.

Well, I still might be able to help you.

Ah, better than the yards down on Hughes Boulevard?

I usually trade down there.

Well, what happened?
You run them out of business?

No, my ride only took me halfway to Hughes...

See, do you happen to have a screwdriver handy?

Help yourself.

Thanks.

Mr. Adams was at a junkyard,
but not on Hughes Boulevard.

While the Patrol was speeding to that area,

Mr. Adams continued to tinker with a potentially fatal oil indicator.

None of those screwdrivers fit.

I got a whole set inside.

Hey, what is that?

Oh, it's a...

Well, sort of a Geiger counter.

It's complete with batteries, in the tube there, I think.

It's practically new.

Yeah? Where'd you get it?

Old junk pile over near Brenton.

It's pretty valuable, all right.

It comes apart if you take out that screw in the side.

It's okay with me if you want to open it up.

Why bother?

You probably want too much anyhow.

Two dollars?

Buck and a half.

Sold.

Hello.

Paloger's junkyard

Who?

Oh, ya, ya, I remember.
Hey, ah, hold the line a minute will ya?

Here you are.

Thanks.

Goodbye.

So long. Drop in again.

I sure will.

Hello.

Let's see, where were we?

Oh, yeah, yeah, the pulleys.

Yeah, like you said, I held up three number sevens,

three number nines, and two nine As.

You can pick them up any time you want.

The price? Eh,
like we discussed, to the penny.

Right.

Two o'clock? Ahhh,
yeah, yeah, I'll be here.

Goodbye.

Well, how's Mr. Marconi today?

Looking for bargains as usual.

Is that all you can find?

Oh, but it's all I dare take home.

Hey, the message doesn't go much for you being a ham radio operator, huh?

Not when it gets too expensive.

Eh, they're unreasonable.

Hey, tell me,

do you still talk to that guy down in Austria by shortwave like you told me?

It's Australia, not Austria.

What is this?

Well, that, well, it's sort of a Geiger counter.

Says who?

Some guy picked it up in a junk pile.

He should know.

Can't tell whether it's fish or fowl.

Have you had it apart?

No, I just got it.

Tell me, can you use it in your radio stuff?

Uh...

Well, maybe a few parts.

Just wonder what it is.

How much you want for it?

For you, my friend?

Five dollars.

My wife would cut my head off.

Hey, does she have to know?

Do you know any way of keeping it from her?

Yeah, you win.

Four dollars?

Three.

Oh, impossible.

Three and a half.

Three and a quarter, for science.

Well?

Sold for three and a quarter.
Sure your lucky day, mister.

Yeah.

No, sir, I haven't seen Mr. Adams for oh, a week now.

Course he doesn't...
Well speak of the devil!

Oh, are you Mr. Adams?

I suspect so.

Good. Hey, come here.

Did you find an oil indicator,
that is to say a gadget with dials on it,

on Brenton Road today?

This is a very dangerous machine,
oh is it there in the satchel?

No sir. I just sold it.

Where and to who?

To a fella in a junk shop.

What junk shop? This is very important. What's the address?

I don't know.

But it's down on Fulton, just below Murdoch.

Will you take us there?

Sure.

Thanks. Thanks very much.

Are you sure you don't know who the fella is,
or where he lives?

Like I said, he lives in the
city, he's married, he's a

ham radio operator. Period.
That's absolutely all I know.

You've got no record of the purchases

Excuse me Mr. Matthews,
may I make a suggestion

about finding this
amateur radio operator?

What have you got in mind?

Couldn't we trace him through the government licenses?

Which are issued to all amateur radio stations?

You mean I should call the FCC and check off the list one by one,

no that'd take too long, I'm sure

there are at least 500 in the radius of 50 miles.

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

There used to be an organization that made evening broadcasts to all ham radio operators

just before the war. It had something to do with civil defense.

Let me have that.

2150 to headquarters.

Go ahead 2150.

2150, is there an organization that makes daily broadcasts to all amateur radio operators?

Sure, the American Radio Relay Link.

They're on every night at 6:30.
Sort of a swap shop on general information pool.

Get me the address of that broadcasting station.
Call me back. 10-4?

10-4

Thanks very much for your help gentlemen,
you'll hear from me.

Gee, I wish I'd never picked that thingamajig up.

I wish I'd have held out for five bucks.

And they'd have that thing instead
of that guy that's always talkin' to, uh, Austria.

I'm in here, Mel.

An appropriate place, woman.

Hi, sweetie.

I'm starved.

Oh, and,
I love you.

Thank you.

They're lovely.

And, uh, what's that you
have behind your back?

Uh, what back?

Come on, confess now.

You'll get your dinner,
no matter what it is.

You promise?

Cross my heart.

What bargain was it
impossible to resist this time?

It's a beaut

I give up. What is it?

Um, well I don't know

That's why it's a beaut

more scientific research?

Well, how am I ever going to find
out anything if I don't ask questions?

You go on and wash up.
Dinner's almost ready.

Okay.

Mel?

Are you ever going to bring flowers
home without a slightly ulterior motive?

Hidden behind your back?

Oh, no.

At least,
not until the baby's born.

Shock's bad for you.

Oh, get out of here.

Mel, dinner's served.

Yes, ma'am.

Of course, I know a lot
of the amateur operators.

But the only lead you have on this
fellow is that he talks to Australia.

That doesn't
identify him for me.

No telling how many of them
do that day in and day out.

Yeah, we know all that.

It's the way a case
breaks sometimes.

A friend's got a friend who
calls Australia, our case is solved.

But not this one.

I hope our friend is listening
tonight instead of sending.

One thing I do know, the commercial
radio and the newspapers are cooperating.

Mr. Hoyt, how can they let an
instrument like this lie around?

But they don't just let it
lie around, Mr. Matthews.

It's handled by technicians who have
knowledge of its use, and its dangers.

Why, of itself, it's as
safe as a gun on safety.

But in the hands of a person who is ignorant of
its radioactive component, it can be disastrous.

Something better work.

Come on.

This is amateur station QTQRT2
of the American Radio Relay League

coming on the air for
intermittent evening broadcasting

by authority of the Federal
Communications Commission.

Good evening, friends.
This is Eric Pryde speaking.

Before we begin
tonight's regular broadcast,

we have a special statement
on behalf of the Highway Patrol.

Ann?
Patrol has asked us to announce ...

What is it, honey? What happened ?
radioactive

I don't know. I just got dizzy.

Look what I did.

Oh, who cares?
What's the matter, Ann?

Nothing, now. I'll be all right.

Not if you so much as move
your little finger, you won't.

Now, come on and sit down.

No, no. I'm all right now.

Yes, yes, you're
not all right now.

Now, come on. Come in
the other room and listen

to the broadcast, and
then I'll do the dishes.

Who's sick now?

Don't be sassy.
Just do as you're told.

We repeat, the contents of the
tube, the pellets, are radioactive.

Exposure to them for more
than five seconds can be deadly.

Feel better now?

If you're the one the police are searching...
Ten thousand percent. I don't know what happened to me.
contact this station...

Oh, it's simple. Shock.
or hold line one immediately.

I'll just have to stop bringing you flowers.
report from Washington DC...

You're crazy.
procedure for next year's FCC...

What did you say this thing was?

Oh, just another guess what.

has announced that FCC bulletin 12 dash 7...

Are you sure you're all right now, Ann?

Positive.

Would you like a nice, nice
tall, cool glass of water?

No, spender.

Go ahead. You'll
feel better if I do.

Can I play?

Oh, be my guest.

May the 6th, while the closing date, which
was formally November 15th,

has now been set
back to November 1st.

Therefore, in total, the period for license
renewal application has been shortened one month.

All other qualifications remain unchanged.

The FCC has also
requested that all applicants

be certain to fill out the application form

in triplicate, and that the applicants sign each form.

Failure to do so will result in a
delay in the issuance of the license.

Ladies and gentlemen, before
continuing on with the news,

I want to repeat an
announcement which could

mean life or death to
one of our members.

The Highway Patrol has
asked us to announce

that a radioactive
device, an oil indicator,

is known to have been purchased at a
junkyard today by an amateur radio operator.

This device...
Get out of here, Ann! Get out!

It contains radioactive pellets...
Mel, what are you doing?

That gadget I bought, it's radioactive.

They just announced it.
What?

Those pellets,
they're radioactive.

You could have been killed.

Oh, Mel.

Mel.

I'll call the Highway Patrol.

Matthews here.

Have you found it?

All right, fine.
Have they disassembled it?

They have.

Tell them to keep
away from the pellets.

Tell them to keep away from
the pellets. They're radioactive.

Now, where do they live?

Yeah, I know where it is.

Second house from the corner?

Fine. We'll be right over.
Let's go.

Everything's fine. Thanks very
much for your help, Mr. Pryde.

Where is it?

It's in there.

How long were you exposed?

A second, two at the most.

It couldn't have harmed you.

The pellets are handled that long every day.

I'll handle the pellets that
long myself, picking them up.

May I?

Oh, with pleasure.

Close call, huh?

Thanks to you.

Good day.

Goodbye.

Goodbye, Mr. Matthews.

Thanks.

See Highway Patrol again next week.

Until then remember,

it isn't what you drive,
but how you drive that counts.

This is Broderick Crawford saying,
see you next week.